Germany manager Joachim Loew has said he is hopeful he can count on Sami Khedira for the World Cup finals in June.
The Real Madrid midfielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament while playing in a friendly for his country against Italy last November. The 26-year-old was ruled out for the rest of the season, with the World Cup in Brazil a huge doubt too.
But Loew said in an interview with Bild that Khedira is making slow but good progress, and his recovery is on schedule.
“Three days ago, I talked to Sami on the phone. He feels fine, does light training on the treadmill, and has not suffered any setbacks,” Loew was quoted as saying. He added: “All is fine, Sami is on schedule.”
The Germany boss has other injury concerns ahead of the finals with Bastian Schweinsteiger struggling with ankle problems throughout the campaign, and Real Madrid target Ilkay Gundogan not featuring for Borussia Dortmund since August because of a back problem.
Loew said that all his players would be given the chance to prove themselves once match fit before deciding on his squad, and there is no need to rush anyone back into action.
“There is no deadline. But naturally we’ll have to look at how the players are in form and how fit they are,” Loew said. “To call up a player for the World Cup, who has not played a competitive game, that would be difficult. I want every player to cover the full work load during our preparation for the Word Cup.”
